In enclosed, isolated environments, microbes can pose a major health hazard. Think, for example, what could happen with bacterial growth aboard the International Space Station.

The folks at NASA thought a lot about it. And we’re now working with them on special items – clothes, sheets and towels – made from our SILVERion™ antimicrobial fabrics.

To train for the challenges of life aboard the Space Station, astronauts spend time in a confined environment at NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations. The underwater lab, owned by NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), is situated deep in the Atlantic Ocean.

It’s an environment that is moist, enclosed, and isolated – an environment in which bacteria, mold and mildew can thrive and quickly become a problem.